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It’s deja vu all over again for CSUN’s champion basketball team — well almost.

Though they lost the outright championship title to the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine this season, they managed to take the Big West Tournament away from them Saturday night 67-60 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

“Through the thick and the thin, these young woman did what they were supposed to do,” CSUN head coach Jason Flowers said.

This tournament victory marks the second year in a row for the San Fernando Valley basketball team, and their second trip to the Big Dance. But it didn’t come easy.

Hawai’i, until Saturday, hadn’t lost a game in two months, and CSUN treated them with such respect.

“Hawai’i had a tremendous regular season,” Flowers said. “And they deserve to be the regular season champs.”

The first half was an all out battle determined by both teams’ big guns in the paint. Hawai’i held the advantage, with noticeable tall, athletic players that made it difficult for CSUN to drive.

The Island team was just too tall for CSUN’s primary scorers and Hawai’i was literally slapping any attacks down.

The Rainbow Wahine’s Shawna-Lei Kuehu was no joke inside the paint. She slapped down CSUN’s guard Janae Sharpe numerous times in the first half, but Flowers persisted despite the nine single-half blocks obtained by Hawai’i.

But CSUN knew this coming in. In practice, CSUN prepared by setting up a tennis racket to simulate block shots.

“Honestly I hate it cause I get my shot blocked every time,” said CSUN senior guard Janae Sharpe, in context to the practice technique.

Flower’s countered the Hawaii’s height by placing several six-foot-plus tall players on the court at the same time to counter. But center’s like Camille Mahlknecht and freshman Tessa Boagni, didn’t have the athleticism to put points on the scoreboard.

Hawai’i on the other hand, was working with versatile players that not only towered above defenders in the paint, but slapped looks away from CSUN.

To answer the wall that Hawai’i had placed in the key, Flowers brought out his wing shooters but Hawai’i wasn’t stupid.

CSUN only pulled 5 threes for the game, and had to work for every single one as Hawai’i didn’t counter with a full-court press defensively, but instead relied on their height to deflect shots from within and outside the arc.

Offensively, the Rainbow Wahine worked within the arc, using their height and their speed to work over the smaller defenders. So in response, CSUN packed the key under the basket to make it harder for Hawai’i to climb when passing the ball over a defender’s head.

Northridge, being the scrappy energetic team who gave the top-seeded University of Southern Carolina a run for it’s money last year in the first round of the NCAA — found a way.

“Their guard play is phenomenal,” Hawai’i head coach Laura Beeman said. “Very difficult to handle three guards who know how to do what they do.”

And at around 5 p.m. Saturday night, Hawai’i was handed their first loss since Jan. 10 — from the same team.

“Honestly this one hurts.” Hawaii’s Kuehu said. “It’s going to take some time for these wounds to heal.”

Hawai’i had forged a solid season coming from their last loss Jan. 10 against CSUN 53-46 at the Matadome.

From that loss Hawai’i went to rack up 15 consecutive wins. On the other hand, CSUN was trying figure out what kind team they were.

“Last year we bought into (Flowers) system and we bought into what we had to do,” CSUN senior guard Cinnamon Lister said. “One of the biggest challenges was re-buying into his system.”

Flowers had grown frustrated starting in December with the losses his team was taking and coming into the regular season conference play, switched up his starters and tried to figure out what he was working with.

“We struggled a lot throughout this season,” CSUN’s Guay said. “We were trying to figure out what was missing.

Somewhere along the line, CSUN got their groove back and racked up seven-straight wins going into the tournament, but this was nothing to what Hawai’i had been doing.

The Island team stood 14-2 at the start of the tournament, and then went on to put the California State University, Fullerton down 73-64 in the semifinals.

A few hours later, CSUN faced off against the University of California, Davis, a team that stood undefeated for Northridge, and put them down 61-47.

Then the two top teams in the regular season faced off — and last year’s champs went home this year’s champs.

“I definitely feel that their pressure was more intense.” Beeman said. “We really picked a bad night to not hit layups.”

Now CSUN will have to put their experience to the test again when they head to the first round of the NCAA tournament. Maybe this is the year they will make it past the first round.

“This is the best team in school history,” Flowers said.

The CSUN Matadors and the University of Hawaii tipoff signaling the start of the Big West Conference Championship in the Honda Center on March 14. (Raul Martinez/ Staff Photographer)

Senior Janae Sharpe goes in for a layup against Hawaii during the Matadors’ Big West final on March 14. Sharpe has seven points and four rebounds at the half. (Trevor Stamp / Multimedia Editor)

Senior Camille Mahlknecht misses a loose ball after her teammate misses a shot against Hawaii in the Matadors’ Big West final on March 14. Mahlknecht has six rebounds at the half. (Trevor Stamp / Multimedia Editor)

Sophomore Emily Cole races past Hawaii’s Destiny King during the first half of the Big West final on March 14. Cole has three points and one rebound at the half. (Trevor Stamp / Multimedia Editor)

Shawana-Lei Kuehu tries to drive the lane against the CSUN Matadors in the Big West Conference Champinship game at the Honda Ceneter in March 14.

Senior Camille Mahlknecht jumps on a loose ball for the Matadors in ther Big West final against Hawaii on March 14. (Trevor Stamp / Multimedia Editor)

Senior Janae Sharpe powered her way through Hawaii’s defense, putting up 20 points for the Matadors in their Big West final in March 14. (Trevor Stamp / Multimedia Editor)

From left to right: Travis Newman, Katelin King and Randi Friess celebrate were getting hype from the bench in the final minutes of the Matadors’ Big West final against Hawaii on March 14. The Matadors took home their second Big West trophy in a row and securing a bid to play in the NCAA tournament. (Trevor Stamp / Multimedia Editor)

The Matadors won their second Big West Championship in a row after beating Hawaii 67-60 on March 14. (Trevor Stamp / Multimedia Editor)

The CSUN Matadors celebrate thier back-to-back title in the Big West Conference after deefeating Hawaii by a final score of 67-60 at the Honda Center on March 14. (Raul Martinez/ Staff Photographer)

The Matadors celebrate after winning the Big West Championship for a second time in a row on March 14. (Trevor Stamp / Multimedia Editor)

Camille Mahlknecht and the CSUN Matadors celebrate thier back-to-back title in the Big West Conference by cutting the net after deefeating Hawaii by a final score of 67-60 at the Honda Center on March 14 (Raul Martinez/ Staff Photographer)

Cinnamon Lister and the CSUN Matadors celebrate thier back-to-back title in the Big West Conference by cutting the net after deefeating Hawaii by a final score of 67-60 at the Honda Center on March 14. (Raul Martinez/ Staff Photographer)

Ashlee Guay and the CSUN Matadors celebrate thier back-to-back title in the Big West Conference by cutting the net after deefeating Hawaii by a final score of 67-60 at the Honda Center on March 14. (Raul Martinez/ Staff Photographer)

Senior Janae Sharpe had a lot to smile about after she sunk 20 points and pulled down six rebounds for the Matadors as they won the Big West Championship on March 14. (Trevor Stamp / Multimedia Editor)

Head coach Jason Flowers holds up the net after the Matadors won their second Big West Championship in a row, securing a bid to play in the NCAA tournament. (Trevor Stamp / Multimedia Editor)

The CSUN Matadors celebrate thier back-to-back title in the Big West Conference after deefeating Hawaii by a final score of 67-60 at the Honda Center on March 14. (Raul Martinez/ Staff Photographer)

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